The present invention relates to cardiology and more particularly to a method of evaluating a heart patient wherein a computer has a database and a user interface connected thereto that includes a display screen.
Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a method of evaluating a heart patient that employs a computer and a display screen, the display screen having multiple images that are displayed to a user, each image being an anatomical representation of a portion of a human heart, wherein multiple of the images depict different portions of the human heart and the display screen simultaneously displays data next to one or more of the images, the data being specific to the patient in the display data relating to at least one of the portions of the human heart that is represented by the display.
Currently, the practice of cardiology in the United States uses disparate modalities and systems for documentation. This includes for example handwritten notes, scanned images, document management systems, and fully integrated electronic medical systems.
The current state of the practice of cardiology includes: (1) Era of increasing demand; (2) Time constraints; (3) More complex procedures; (4) Increased imaging requirements; (5) Decrease allotted time per patient visit; and (6) Decreased reimbursement. Cardiologists can average of 8-10 minutes per patient.
Traditionally, the practice of dictating and transcribing cardiology reports has been used by cardiologists. Cardiologists have been increasingly burdened by the need to quickly and accurately generate cardiology reports after reviewing the results of heart studies.
Additionally, cardiologists must fill out forms for submission to insurance companies and provide information to regulatory agencies. To gather and produce all of this information, cardiologists must spend a significant portion of their work day dictating the needed information. Additionally, cardiologists must maintain a staff to transcribe the information into reports and to fill out required forms.
A cardiologists typically dictates a report reviewing the results of a heart study, which, subsequently, must be typed by a transcriber. This process is time consuming and repetitive. Using traditional manual methods of record keeping, patient data is not readily available for fast and easy review. A patient's medical record cannot be easily combined with other studies and/or reports, and/or other patient data for analysis and reporting.
There is a need to automate the report generation process to free up more time in the practice of cardiologists.